Today, President Bush and the other G-8 Leaders endorsed a plan to reduce the threat of dirty bombs by preventing terrorist access to radioactive sources.

The "Dirty Bomb" Threat: There is growing concern that terrorists
or the states which support them could acquire radioactive sources to
construct "dirty bombs." Detonation of a "dirty bomb" could harm
civilians and result in severe economic costs. Reducing the
vulnerability of radioactive sources requires enhanced efforts to track
and secure national inventories, as well as expanded international
cooperation to identify, manage, and safeguard sources world-wide.

G-8 Action on Radioactive Source Security: G-8 Leaders launched
today a new initiative to increase the security of radioactive
sources. They are major holders and exporters of these sources, and
must work to ensure their security and prevent misuse.

The G-8 will:

Recommend practices and standards for national measures to track
and recover sources, control exports, and penalize theft or misuse
of sources;

Promote adherence to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources; and

Consider assistance and technical support to the IAEA and other
countries.

U.S. Additional Actions: The United States has intensified efforts
to respond to the "dirty bomb" threat. Priorities include assisting
former Soviet states to locate and protect high-risk sources, upgrading
U.S. national controls, and raising awareness of this issue at a March
2003 international conference jointly sponsored by the United States,
Russia and the IAEA.